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DIRECTIVE No. 766-TTg OF SEPTEMBER 17, 1997 ON THE ASSIGNMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES FOR TAKING MEASURES AGAINST THE ILLEGAL SENDING OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN ABROAD

In recent years, cross-border trafficking of women and children has become a serious problem. Though the specialized agencies have actively coordinated with the People�s Committees at various levels in discovering, arresting and punishing many offenders engaged in cross-border trafficking of women and girls for prostitution, the situation has evolved in a complex manner.

In order to promptly and effectively prevent then proceed to radically eliminate this crime, the Prime Minister requests the ministries, branches and local People�s Committees to strictly carry out the following concrete tasks assigned to them:

1. The Ministry of the Interior:

- To assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with the concerned ministries and branches (Defense, Foreign Affairs, Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, Justice, Education and Training, the Child Protection and Care Committee...) and the People�s Committees of the provinces and cities directly under the Central Government to firmly monitor the situation, to fully collect data on Vietnamese women and children who have been illegally sent abroad (including those who have been sent for prostitution or forced to marry foreigners or who have illegally fled the country).

- To determine the key areas and concentrate on directing the police at various levels to intensify professional measures to discover, prevent and stamp out the organizations involved in the trafficking of women and children abroad. To closely manage the population and households in the communes, wards and district townships; to coordinate with the Vietnam Fatherland Front and mass organizations in launching a movement to involve people in the prevention and fight against the offenders or those who create conditions for this evil to spread.

Together with the concerned branches and local People�s Committees to supervise and abolish the medium establishments providing services for marriages and friend-making arrangements with foreigners, and sanction tourist service establishments which break law by illegally sending people abroad.

- To strengthen its organizational structure and increase the number of full-time personnel so as to ensure timely discovery, prompt investigation and strict handling of organizations and individuals, especially the instigators and ring leaders of the sending of women and children abroad for prostitution or forcing women into marriage with foreigners.

- To coordinate with the border guards to enhance control at the border gates, effectively prevent and fight against the illegal sending of women and children across the border.

- To coordinate with the Interpol and police of the neighboring countries, especially China and Cambodia in order to discover, prevent and abolish the organizations involved in the trafficking of women and children,

- To assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs in elaborating a plan for the prevention of cross-border trafficking of women and children as well as for the reintegration of the returning women and children into their communities.

2. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

- In the field of external politics, to coordinate with the Ministry of the Interior in cooperating with foreign countries to prevent and fight against this offense. To prepare suitable plans for working with the international organizations and countries concerned in order to put an end to the illegal sending of Vietnamese women and children abroad.

- To coordinate with the mass organizations in mobilizing foreign non-governmental organizations to take part in addressing this problem.

3. The Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs:

- To assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Health, the Child Protection and Care Committee, the Vietnam Women�s Union and the People�s Committees of various levels in elaborating a scheme for organizing job training and find jobs for the returning women and children; sending those suffering from social diseases to educational and medical establishments.

4. The Ministry of Justice:

- To assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with the Ministry of the Interior, the Supreme People�s Procuracy and the Supreme People�s Court in revising the relevant legal documents currently in force, propose amendments and supplements suitable to the present situation. In the immediate future, to issue an inter-disciplinary Circular of the Procuracy, Justice, Interior and Court services to guide various levels in conducting the investigation, prosecution, trial and severe punishment of offenses of this type.

- To assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of the Interior in elaborating judiciary assistance treaties with China and Cambodia with provisions addressing this problem.

5. The Ministry of Trade and the General Department of Tourism shall coordinate with the Ministry of the Interior, the People�s Committees of the provinces and cities directly under the Central Government and the various branches in closely managing tourist and entry and exit service activities so as to discover and prevent attempts of those in the country and foreigners arriving in Vietnam to organize the illegal taking of women and children abroad.

- To coordinate with the Ministry of the Interior in supervising and strictly punishing those service establishments that organize overseas tours to take Vietnamese women and children abroad to work as prostitutes or to sell them to foreigners.

6. The Ministry of Culture and Information shall assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with the Vietnam Child Care and Protection Committee, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Women�s Union and other mass organizations, with newspapers, radio and television stations in disseminating information through the mass media and conducting on-the-spot communication and education at the grassroots level to alert the population about the schemes employed by the women and children traffickers, prevent and strongly denounce such practices.

7. The Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Finance shall allocate funding for the prevention and fight against the cross-border trafficking of women and children for prostitution and for the reintegration of the returnees into the communities.

8. The Presidents of the People�s Committees of the provinces and cities directly under the Central Government shall further direct and create conditions for the police and the relevant local branches to execute plans on the coordinated management of the borders and the close management of individual and household registration and take initiative in the prevention and fight against the trafficking of women and children. To direct the provincial/municipal Services of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs and health services to prepare plans on the strengthening and close management of compulsory medical examination and treatment centers, effectively gather the subject women and provide job training for them. To closely supervise cases of granting permits for the practice of go-between in marriage and child adoption services in the localities.

9. The ministers, the heads of the ministerial-level agencies and the agencies attached to the Government and the presidents of the People�s Committees of the provinces and cities directly under the Central Government shall have to organize the implementation of this Directive.

The Ministry of the Interior shall assume the primary responsibility and coordinate with the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs to take responsibility for overseeing and urging the implementation of this Directive and regularly report its result to the Prime Minister.

For the Prime Minister

Deputy Prime Minister

NGUYEN KHANH